It is easier to dethrone the King than step on the Ant.
This represents a delightful development for the NBA as the playoffs move into the second round. The Nuggets vanquished LeBron James, setting up a matchup with the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves and superstar Anthony Edwards.
The NBA remains as popular as its stars. And no one is shining like Edwards. The timing is perfect. Look around the survive-and-advance brackets and who is missing: James, Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. This Dream Team became The Meme Team.
These should be dark days, and ESPN would like you to believe that a LeBron-less postseason requires a coal miner’s helmet to see a glimmer of light. Truth is, there are stars ready to replace them not unlike when Michael Jordan succeeded Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
Don’t get it twisted. I am not saying Edwards is Jordan. But the way he plays widens eyes and turns heads. He mocks gravity, averaging 2.99 feet of air on his dunks, tops in the league. He scored 31 points per night against a Suns team whose roster looked like the island of misfit toys.
And let’s state the obvious: Edwards wants the smoke more than the Marlboro Man. He has the personality to take up the superstar slack, his interviews a blend of spontaneity and comedy.
I say this as someone who respects LeBron’s game: Are we really going to miss the stamping of feet after every whistle? Are we really going to miss the pleading, begging and flopping? There were times during the Lakers series they didn’t need a ball. They needed a bib. And a pacifier.
Beginning Saturday, we get Edwards vs. Jamal Murray. What makes this special is that this is not AAU mercenary hoops. These are great players on great teams who play the game the right way. With all due respect to Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson, Murray has become the best closer in sports since Mariano Rivera. Edwards agrees, telling The Post recently of the Nuggets, “Without him, they’re not good.”
They are not as good. As long as Nikola Jokic is on the roster, the Nuggets are contenders. But Murray is the secret sauce of the Big Mac. Consider what we’ve already learned about Murray this postseason. He plays hard, he plays hurt and he takes more big shots than a 21st birthday party. When he jogged to the locker room after Game 5, he placed his hands on Jokic’s shoulders, exalting in joy.
Nuggets basketball could live forever in these snapshots. But they are not done yet. The climb only gets steeper.
The Edwards v. Murray stat watch makes this series fascinating. Edwards viewed Durant as his favorite player, and he took pleasure in crushing his dreams in the first round. His respect for Murray is real. He figures to make this personal, making it a tough draw for Murray, especially if his strained left calf lingers.
But Edwards also has plenty of Jokic in his game. Coach Chris Finch said Ant has superstar DNA, but genuinely cares about his teammates’ success. Will Edwards defer to Karl-Anthony Towns in big moments? Or drive and dish more to Mike Conley Jr., who will be expending plenty of energy guarding Murray?
Likewise, Murray might need to work more as a true playmaker than a shot-taker. The Timberwolves have a history of guarding Jokic one-on-one with Rudy Gobert. Jokic filled his stats with helium against him this season, averaging 33.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in four games. The last number is revealing if you know how Jokic messes around and gets a triple-double daily.
Jokic spent the Lakers series facilitating teammates because of the constant double teams. It worked, barely, as the Nuggets missed a battery of open looks, save for Michael Porter Jr. If the T-Wolves dare guard Jokic with Gobert, he must look to the basket. This casts Murray as a point guard first, but someone always trusted to make the last shot.
Over the last two springs, the Nuggets have never required more than six games to dispatch an opponent. This time against this team, it might be different. And that might be a bad thing for the players, but not the viewers.
So, yes, many stars are watching the playoffs from their couches or Cancun, including LeBron. It’s OK. Really.
Minnesota v. Denver is just fine featuring the cast of The Avengers: The Ant-Man, The Joker, and, in Murray, the NBA’s best Batman.
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